Reunion
by MaryandMerlin
Summary: James has a surprise for Lily when they return to Hogwarts and where it all began. Shameless fluff. March Exchange for xDarkDesiresLightx and hogwarts assignment! JP/LE
**Author's Note: This is my entry for the March Exchange for xDarkDesiresLightx I hope you enjoy it!**

 **Exchange: Lily/James, Romance, Bookworm/"I wanna be your last first kiss"/marriage.**

 **Assignment: DADA - Write about someone who has lost control of a situation.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything that you recognise!**

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Reunion

"I swear to Merlin, James," Lily growled out not looking up from the scroll of parchment in front of her. She could just see his approaching feet through her curtain of hair and her hand tightened on the quill until she thought it might snap. "If you try one more cheesy line I won't be responsible for what I do." She looked up just in time to see James's face take on a vaguely shocked look as he held up his hands.

"Woah there Evans, chill, the library is neutral territory you know." He stopped a respectful distance away from the table she was sat at.

"Sorry," she sighed knowing that her snapping was unwarranted but he seemed to annoy her at every possible second. "What can I do for you James?" Lily set her quill down and rubbed her sore neck as she waited.

"Well…" he paused as if picking his words and Lily was surprised to see his cheeks take on a slight pink hue. "It was more what I could do for you." Lily didn't answer but raised an eyebrow in unspoken question. James smiled as he continued, taking on a more earnest air. "Well I don't know if you've noticed, but it is a beautiful day outside and I was wondering if you maybe wanted to join us. Marlene is down by the lake with everyone!" He cut in quickly as Lily opened her mouth to reply, "and I know that Remus and Peter have gone to find Alice too."

Lily smiled inwardly at his nervous babble unable to deny that it was cute and glanced towards the window where the glorious late autumn sunshine beckoned her. She knew there weren't so many beautiful days left in the year. She glanced back at James as he fidgeted with his robes, trying not to look too hopeful. "This isn't a ploy is it?" she asked narrowing her eyes at him.

"No!" he all but shouted. "No," he repeated looking at little embarrassed at his outburst. "We just thought we'd be the bad influences we are and get you bookworms out into the sunshine."

Lily reached for her bag and smiled at him genuinely this time. "Well, who am I to deny you boys your natural habits."

X

Lily smiled to herself as she gazed at the table amazed that after all these years it was still the same. She sat down in the chair where it had all begun and traced a figure over the worn wood wondering who had studied here since.

She glanced towards the window which now framed the pretty half-moon and thought about the five years that had followed that afternoon. How she had eventually stopped seeing James as the annoying, arrogant, bane of her existence and started to realise how much he had changed.

She remembered the first time she had kissed him, the day of their graduation when he had been babbling like a fool. The look of shock on his face still made her giggle, he had truly never expected her to give in.

Lily sat in the dark of the library and listened to the music and chatter that filtered up from the great hall. She had slipped away from the crowd and the heat and the noise desperate just to explore the school that had once been her home.

"I thought I'd find you here."

Lily looked up and felt a smile stretch her mouth as James appeared between the book shelves. He looked very handsome in his dress robes with his hair falling in his eyes and that perpetually cheeky smile. Her heart filled to bursting at the mere sight of him these days and Lily was struck by just how hard she had fallen for the former trickster.

"Just strolling down memory lane," she replied softly still unwilling to break the sanctity of this place by raising her voice. She half expected the old librarian to appear from the darkness at any second and send them back to bed.

James chuckled and came to perch on the desk beside her. "Yes I remember, the first time you trusted me."

"Can you believe that was five years ago?" Lily asked tilting her head up to look at his handsome profile bathed in moonlight. James turned his head and Lily found herself captured in a surprisingly intense gaze.

"It feels like my whole life, and only yesterday," he whispered gazing at her. Lily felt her heart stutter in her chest and her palms grew clammy as her mouth dried out. Blood flushed her face and she radiated heat.

As suddenly as it had happened the connection snapped as he turned his head away and Lily felt herself slump in release. James seemed to be muttering to himself and he pushed away from the desk stalking towards the window. Lily watched him, more than a little concerned.

"James?" she asked tentatively when he didn't come back. "Are you okay?" She stood up but before she could move any closer he had spun around his fists clenched tightly.

"Lily I have something important to say and I have been thinking long and hard about how and when to say it to you. I can't think of a better moment than right now."

Lily was shocked but stayed quiet simply nodding at him to continue. James took a deep breath puffing his chest right out before letting it out playing for time and confidence. "Lily," he started after an almost uncomfortable amount of silence. "You know that I have loved you for a long time and I want you to special how know you are to me. No! I mean, er, I want you to know how special you are to me."

James shook his head, a flush climbing up his cheeks, refusing to meet her eyes. "Sorry," he mumbled, "I'm a little nervous."

"Don't be," Lily smiled taking his hands in hers as a show of comfort. "It's just me James, you know you can tell me anything."

"I do know, and that's part of your charm. You're so easy to talk to Lily, and so determined to help in any and every way that you can. I am so lucky that you agreed to be with an idiot like me. What I'm really trying to say, behind all this pointless babble, is that I want to be your last first kiss Lily, I want to be the father of your children and I want to be yours completely."

Lily felt her heart stop as he got down onto one knee and drew a small box out of his pocket. "What I really want to know, Lily Evans, is if you will make me the happiest man on earth and consent to marriage me? Marry! Marry me, not, not marriage – urgh."

James who had been looking so sincerely and seriously into her eyes let his head fall forward in self-loathing. "I really fucked that up didn't I," he mumbled at the ground.

Lily couldn't help it any more, she burst out laughing at his dejected state. "Yes," she managed through her giggles getting down on her knees beside him. "You really truly did in James Potter style." Reaching under his chin she tilted his head up until he was looking in her eyes again. "But you're my screw up James Potter and nothing in this world would make me happier than becoming your Mrs Potter."

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 **Much Love, MaryandMerlin x**


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